Life-saving device.



W. T. McCOY.

LIFE SAVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30 I918.

1,289,843. Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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LIFE SAVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. so. me,

1,289,843. Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 awvwwto e William, T/7 C y WILLIAM T. MCCOY, OF NEW YORK. N. Y.

LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. MCCOY, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and residing at New York, in the-county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Devices, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to life-saving devices for use in connection IVltll shipwreck and on other occasions where such devices may be necessary; and the object thereof is to provide an improved device of this class which is made up in the form of a complete suit which will inclose the entire body and extremities with the exception of the head, and which is provided with an unsinkable pocket construction, and in which the arms may be freely manipulated, said body portion being also provided with pockets or receptacles for containing articles of food. medicine, restoratives and other articles which may be removed therefrom when desired.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accom panying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which 2- Figure 1 is a front view of my improved life-saving device and showing it in use;

Fig. 2 a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

My improved life-saving device comprises a complete inclosing suit, consisting of a body member a, leg members I) and arm members 0.

This complete suit is composed of any suitable water-proof material and has a central, vertical, longitudinal front opening (Z adapted to be closed by a lacing construction, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The opening (6 does not extend entirely through the front body portion of the suit, but is closed by a back strip d as shown in Fig. 2. The body of the garment in the construction shown consists of outer and inner members a and a between .which are placed circumferential rows of cork floats e separated by vertical rows of stitching, and the parts a and a are secured together, above and below the rows of cork floats by two horizontal rows of Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented 1)e(9, 31, 1918,

Application filed January 30, 1918. Serial No. 214,465. I

stitching as clearly indicated, and in the construction shown five of these circumferential rows of cork floats are employed and .with this construction the body of float material employed is made flexible both forwardly and backwardly, and also laterally.

At the sides of the body a of the suit arc water-proof pockets which are adapted to hang in a vertical position as shown in, dotted lines in Fig. 1, or to be raised into a horizontal or other position as shown in full. lines in said figure, and these pockets open inwardly, as indicated at f, within the body of the suit, and any desired articles or material may be placed therein.

The legs 6 of the suit are intended to inclose the legs and feet of the user, and the arms 0 of the suit to inclose the arms of the user, and the ends of the arms 0 may be made in the form of mitts as shown at 0", or in any other form, and the entire suit is made large enough to permit the insertion of the arms of the user into the arms 0 0f the suit, and also the (withdrawal of the arms of the user from the arms 0 of the suit and the insertion of said arms of the user into the pockets 7 and their removal therefrom, as will be readily understood.

The suit is also provided at the front thereof and below the front belting with pockets f which also open inwardly, and which may be used as containers for various small articles, and at the back of the suit and below the front belt construction is another pocket f which may be used for any desired purpose.

The idea of my improved life-saving device or suit is that it should be so made as to float the user with his head and shoulders above water, and the entire device is made ,water-tight, except at the neck where it may also be made water-tight, if desired, but my invention is not limited to the neck construction of my improved life-saving suit,

as shown and described, is to make the body portion of the suit flexible under all conditions, and the lacing at the front of the body portion may be employed for drawing the ends of the circumferential rows of floats nearer together, or to allow them to separate" to an extent, if desired.

It will be understood that my improved lifesaving suit or device may be used under any and all occasions where such devices are necessary or desirable, and my invention is not limited to the various details of construction herein shown and described, and changes therein and modifications thereof may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing fromthe spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A life-saving suit, comprising a body portion having float material secured thereto, said body portion being also provided with leg members and arm members, and with pockets which open inwardly and are adapted to hang loosely or to be raised into horizontal positions.

2. A life-saving suit, comprising a body portion having float material secured thereto, said body portion being also provided with leg members and arm members, and with pockets which open inwardly and are adapted to hang loosely or to be raised into horizontal positions, said body portion being also provided at the front and back with other and smaller pockets which open inwardly. J

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 26th day of January 1917.

WILLIAM T. MCCOY.

Witnesses C. E. MULREANY, W. E. THOD'IPSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

